Charlie Wilson Prays His Age Won't Stop Him From Making Inspirational Music

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(Photograph: BET Press)Charlie Wilson performed at the 14th annual BET Celebration of Gospel

Charlie Wilson says he's praying that after over 40 years in the music industry, he'll continue to be able to use his voice to inspire people.

The 64-year-old 11-time Grammy Award-winning R&B star got his start in the funk group known as The Gap Band in the early '70s. Today, Wilson is proving that he still has a great deal of star power in today's music industry.

His song "I'm Blessed" is No.1 on both the "Hot Gospel Songs" and "Gospel Digital Song Sales" Billboard charts. In an interview with the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Wilson said he prays that he won't give up on inspiring people through music just because he is getting older.

"I want people to know that I'm serious about what I'm doing. I'm probably the oldest one out here doing it like this," he said. "I'm in it to win it, I won't ever stop, I won't give up and I'm a true testament to what this is all about. I'm still inspiring a lot of people and that's what I ask for when I talk to God."

Wilson's faith has been his foundation throughout the years, helping the singer make it through trials sucj as a drug addiction and homelessness. The singer recalled leaning on prayer to overcome his addiction in the early '90s when he slept on the streets of Los Angeles, California.

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"I was powerless over the drugs and I just prayed to God," he told The Gospel Herald in a 2014 interview. "When you surrender that's when things start happening for you and God starts working miracles in your life. As soon as I did that my life changed."

Wilson lived on the streets for two years before entering rehab in 1995 where he met his wife, Mahin, a drug counselor who he believes God placed in his life.

"Marrying Mahin is one of my greatest achievements," he said. "God speaks to this woman all the time and he placed her in my life so I could live a healthy and happy life because everything that I had done on my own just didn't work."

After enduring all of his hardships, the veteran singer insists his faith in God has become stronger than ever.

"My faith in God is tremendous," he said. "Everything that I have now and everything that is working in my life, God arranged it."